taking down a tree
first the dead branches
sliced on the ground
loaded into back of truck
sun hitting winter grass
more limbs are removed by the buzzing chain
sharpened each week to slice through decades
of growth and we are left with an absence
red autumn leaves sprinkled in the road
a house exposed
our neighbor’s shadow against a thin curtain
a glimpse inside as colors filter in the windows
we can only imagine what he’s watching
Roberto Picado lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two cats and incorrigible vices. His novel, Black Market Bones is available through Imzadi publishing.
